Our Grand Adventure

16th February 2026 | Odometer: 1032nm | Puerto Rico

After arriving into the marina in Puerto Rico, we spent the next two weeks working like absolute maniacs to get through all the jobs we had planned. We were absolutely knackered pretty much every night and it felt like living in utter chaos for a bit there.

The biggest job we did was finally cleaning out and painting the engine bay and forward bilge. This meant angle grinding all the rust patches, cleaning, cleaning and cleaning all the oil and built up gunk and dirt from grinding out, then painting with Ospho (for rust conversion). Once all the prep was finished we were into the painting – two layers of primer, and two more of top coat. Unfortunately it was pretty cold and rainy while we did this and we had to leave a full day between each coat to let it dry sufficiently. These are pretty hectic chemicals so back to the mask! We also moved out to an Airbnb nearby for 6 nights to sleep without gassing ourselves in our sleep from the fumes. Obviously we also had to do a heap of cleaning before we could move back in.

While doing this, we also painted the shower! Woohoo! I’ve been wanting to do this since we first got the boat – it’s SO much nicer now!

And, of course, why do one thing when you can do two? We also painted the ice box with the same paints as the shower. It’s also looking way nicer now with fresh sealant foam and less gross bits.

We are planning to sell the boat in Florida in a few months so this was also the perfect time to get some great shots of the V-Berth, shower and head (toilet) while it was all empty and clean. It’s really looking schmick now!

Some other jobs we got done included… touching up the bow paint where I had dinged it with the anchor (don’t ask haha), painting the bookshelf Ryan made, re-plumbing the water system to use all three tanks, pumped up the water pressure accumulator, replaced filters, serviced the engine, and did a bunch of cleaning!

We started jokingly calling one of the dock hands Santa as he was delivering Amazon packages to the boat nearly daily while we were there! We undertook to do a full clean through of all the storage areas and got rid of all the random stuff that was just leftovers from the previous owner; and then refilled all that space with a massive amount of stocking up. Everyone tells us food is wildly expensive and hard to get in the Bahamas so here is 10 weeks worth of food!

Marina Life

The marina is a pretty cool spot and the staff are super friendly – I would definitely recommend it to anyone! The guys rock around on little golf carts to get up and down the very long docks quickly. We were lucky we were very close to the entry so it was only a short walk for bathrooms, the office, carpark etc.

The crazy cold storm that hit the east coast of the USA blew through the day after we arrived and we were really grateful to be safely tucked into the marina as some pretty major winds and storms hit the area. The cold front was a shock, and we had blankets and jumpers (sweaters) on most evenings and overnight. Unfortunately, like most marinas, the hot water in the showers was basically non existent – and our shower was out of commission being painted. Brrrr!

Nearly every evening in that area a big squall will blow through for half an hour or so. The wind picks up, the clouds gather dark and ominous, then the temperature drops. The rain will start absolutely blasting down as though the sky is actively hurling it at you as opposed to just dropping it from a height. Normally, at anchor, the boat will swing and face into the wind, so we can keep a few windows open for air, but in a marina, you are held in a fixed position by the dock. The rain comes in through unusual doors, and in totally opposite ways to what we are used to. We ended up having to totally close up while these were going on!

During one of the bigger squalls that came through, with no prior lightning or thunder, a huge KABLAM!!!! noise hit us along with a blinding white light – the boat just one over from us had been hit by lightning. This is the closest I think either of us have ever been to a lightning strike and it was quite a terrifying moment. Ryan was on the back deck, and I was inside and went rushing out to see what had happened. Our poor neighbours though, their antenna was blasted into oblivion, along with the entire cable down the mast – this also led to a fried navigation system for them and a few other electrical system anomalies. Thankfully they were both OK even though they had been onboard when it happened -but what an absolute bummer for them – a huge wrench in their plans.

Speaking of how different a marina is to being at anchor… it’s so noisy! Instead of just some snubbers or mooring lines to hold us in place, we had six lines – two at the bow, two at the stern and two springs. Not a big deal when the wind is low, but while the wind is blowing, the boat strains hard against the different lines and with the swell in the harbour could bounce back and forth a bit as the opposing lines pulled in and out of tension. Sheesh – some of them are so noisy! As they pull hard they make strange squeaks and groaning noises as they chafe against the sides of the hull or the dock. Definitely odd noises and took some getting used to!

Even though the weather wasn’t great, I was super stoked to see manatees in the marina while we were there – a pair of them wandered right past the back of our boat! Obviously we stopped everything and ran down the dock to watch them make their way back out the mouth. They are quite tricky to spot as often only their noses poke out the surface for a moment as they take a big breath, then they can go under for 3 or 4 minutes before they appear again. Occasionally a tail flick or seeing them roll their body over the surface is fun too!

We hired a car for the duration of our time there and it was so worth it! It is SO satisfying to go shopping and they actually have what you need! Home Depot was visited more times than I care to admit haha. Getting groceries at Walmart was a trip, though I definitely preferred the local “Ralph’s” for a slightly less overwhelming experience.

Moving onshore for a few nights while doing the work felt so strange. We had SO MUCH SPACE! I felt like just being present in these enormous rooms was so odd after the tiny little boat life we have become accustomed to! It did feel like a bit of a wasted experience though as we mostly heated up some leftovers we had had from when we arrived and then ate out… pizza, tacos, etc. But honestly, after the huge days of work on the boat we were both just so exhausted we collapsed into bed by 8pm. By the time the harder work was done, we were moving back into the boat!

We did manage to get out for dinner one night on the coast to try the local dish of Mofongo – a mashed plantain meal topped with a saucy, curried meat. Ridiculously delicious and I highly recommend it!

Emotional Times

So. Cabin Fever. I’ve decided it’s completely real. We had been a little trapped onboard in Ensenada Honda (in Vieques) for a few nights prior to coming into the marina. We couldn’t leave the anchorage due to the wind and swells, and we couldn’t get off the boat because of the old military area surrounding the bay we were in. Four days onboard – no way to get off. We played computer games and sat around a bit but overall it was a bit of a downer. Then we arrived to the marina and embarked on essentially 10 days of flat out work. Why did we do this? I don’t know. Stupid?

Overall, I was pretttttyyyy over it all by the time we had finished painting. We were both exhausted, grumpy and feeling pretty frustrated with it all and each other if I’m being honest. Looking back on it I wonder – why did we push ourselves so hard to get it all done so quickly? Would another week and working a bit less intensely really have been that bad? I don’t know. Anyway, we were both at the end of our tethers and decided to just bail on the boat for a few days! We booked a couple of days in Old San Juan for a little mini break – buuut I’ll tell you more about that in the next one 🙂